Judge Orders Kyle Rittenhouse’s Rifle to Be Destroyed

Kyle Rittenhouse looks on as the jury is let out of the room during a break during his trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Nov. 15, 2021. Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool

The rifle and magazine that were used by Kyle Rittenhouse when he shot and killed two individuals in self-defense during a night of riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, were ordered destroyed by a judge.

Wisconsin Judge Bruce Schroeder, the same judge who presided over Rittenhouse’s criminal trial in November 2021, said defense attorneys and prosecutors will be provided footage of the destruction of the AR-15-style rifle and magazine. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said the gun will likely be destroyed in April 2022.